Andover.net's acquisition of QuestionExchange, a company
offering technical support in an auction-type setting. Ask a
question, accept bid, get your answer. (Linux
Today, January 28)

IBM's big plans for Linux. Big Blue announced its line of
network computer terminals can now run on Linux, and it will soon
make key Java software components available to leading distributors
of Linux. (Linux Today, January 31 and January
26)

Sun Microsystems' release of version 8 of Solaris for free.
Well, there will be a $75 fee for the bundle of applications that
comes with it. (Linux Today, January
28)

On the first day of LinuxWorld Expo (the perfectly numbered
2/2/2000), I walked into the press room and was greeted by the
sight of fourteen PCs, all with browsers open. Half of them were
tuned in to Slashdot.

Nothing in the Linux world (Expo or otherwise) is more
popular than this site, where CmdrTaco, Hemos, Roblimo and their
cohorts feed readers a steady diet of “News for nerds. Stuff that
matters.” But Slashdot is a source of news like a fireplace is a
source of bricks. In fact, fireplace is a good analogy for the
function Slashdot serves in the nerd community. Each news item is a
log thrown into the fire. Combustion always follows—dozens to
hundreds of comments break out.

Many of the comments either bear quotes or have signatures
that are themselves worth quoting. Below are just a few.

—Doc Searls

If there is a God, you are an authorized
representative. —Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

0 1, just my two bits. —Cid Highwind

Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who
cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves. —George
Gordon Noel Byron (Lord Byron)

When the facts change, I change my mind. What do
you do? —John Maynard Keynes

I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once
as I ever was. —Astro Jetson

Moderation is good, in theory. —Larry Wall

I can picture in my mind a world without war, a
world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world,
because they'd never expect it. —Bad Mojo

There are three kinds of people: those who can
count and those who can't. —Anonymous Coward

I've lost my faith in nihilism. —hey!

A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough
to make one believe in God. —CrudPuppy

CLUELESS IN TOYLAND

Eric Robison is a UNIX consultant of long standing whose
one-man company, Clue Computing, had the good sense to register
clue.com as a domain name in 1995.

Hasbro is a toy company of long standing that makes, among
hundreds of other products, a board game called “Clue?”.

Like many big old companies, Hasbro was rather clueless about
the matter of domain names until it was too late. When they
discovered that Mr. Robison had already registered clue.com, they
did what comes naturally to many big old clueless companies: they
sued him. They also lost. Naturally, they appealed the judgment. So
the fight is still on.

When we asked Mr. Robison for a few words about the case, he
framed his response in the manner of the “LJ INDEX”. With his
permission, we reproduce it here.

Years Clue Computing has been in this fight:
5

Dollars spent by Clue Computing on the fight:
~100,000 US

Highest advertised domain name sale price in 1995:
~$100,000 US

Highest advertised domain name sale price in 1999:
$7,500,000 US

Total number of lawyers in law firms working for
Clue Computing: 2

Total number of lawyers in law firms working for
Hasbro: >1,000

Number of settlement offers made by Clue Computing:
>5

Number of settlement offers made by Hasbro:
0

Closing stock price for Hasbro (HAS) for the week
of 6/2/95: 35 1/4

Closing stock price for Hasbro (HAS) on 1/31/2000:
15 (the boycott must be
working).

Cost of one share of Clue Computing, since its
founding: $10 (okay, so we're not
publicly traded...)

Number of domain names Hasbro had registered in
1995: about 20

Number today: probably over
100 (whois dies after
50, and they had over 60 before NSI turned off whois a few months
ago. Hasbro also tends to hide their registrations under false
names and third parties.)

Number of domain names Hasbro wishes to register:
thousands, one per product or
service they sell

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